Centrifugal pump



April 13, 1,948. o.` c. NORTON CENTRIFUGAL PUMP Filed April so, 1945 Pawnee npr. 413, 194s UNITED STATES PATENT lol=l=lcE i Orio Clair Norton. Erie, Pa. llnpumion anni so. ms, sei-iai No. 591,023 schim. (ci. losus) My present invention relates to pumps for handling' air o r water and a pump embodying the elements of my invention is capable of being operated either to compress air or create a vacuum in a conduit, or retort, equivalent to several inches of mercury in a manometer, or it may be ,used as a self priming water pump.

The above several objects of my invention are s accomplished by the use of -a rotary impeller circulating in a body of fluid and serving to dlvide the fluid into minute' particles which will entrain air or other fluid particles, and force the mixture through a surrounding Venturi opening into a volute discharge conduit.

To these and other ends my invention embraces other improvements and arrangements of parts. all as will be described in the following specification, the novel features thereof being set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing one embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a face view of the impeller and.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken through one of the impeller discharge orifices .as indicated by the section line BLS* of Fig. 2.

Similar reference characters in the several figures indicate similar parts.

`The apparatus embodlesa hollow casing containing a rotary impeller and a chamber located at one side thereof, and containing a body of fluid such as water, which flows therefrom' into the center of the impeller, and normally stands at a height level with 'the top of the impeller. Additional quantities of water are fed into the apparatus depending upon the service demands any excess thereof, flowing into the reservoir, being allowed to escape through a" waste pipe.

The casing is a somewhat narrow hollow body composed of a base member I, and a detachable cover or side piece `2. said parts being so shaped as to provide a surrounding volute discharge conduit 3, which is separated from the central chamber. containing the impeller. by a narrow restricted channel 4, the sides of which are event the apparatus is to be used for pumping bottom of its side wall a tangential opening II,

connected by a pipe I2, to the center of the body chamber. The` bottom of the reservoir III. is

formed by a plate I3 which spirals downwardly from the top of the opening Il. to its'bottom edge for thepurpose of facilitating a circular movement of the water in the reservoir. The circular volute discharge is connected at its top, as indicated by Il, with the side of the reservoir which is opposite its outlet opening I I. In the center of the reservoir is a waste pipe Ill, the top of which is level with the top of the impeller rim, and resting thereon is a ball I8, which acts as an overflow check. It is normally retained in a central position in the reservoir by the cavitation created by the swirling of the water in the tank and lifted to open the overflow when the volume of water rises above the top ofthe waste pipe. The tank is vented through a pipe I 1 from which the exhausted air escapes.

The impeller is mounted on a driven shaft 2li,

carried in bearings 2| at one side on a lateral projection of the body I and at its other side,

the rim on its hub 22 fits a central opening of the cover 2, surrounding the inlet. I2, its position therein being maintained by a spring 23. The impeller is formed oi' a back plate 25, which carv ries a hub portion fitted on the end of the shaft 20, and a frontplate 28. Both of these plates are circular and surrounding them isA a. ring 21 which is provided with closely located radial perforations to form a large number of discharge nozzles 28. vThe latter taper inwardly into communication with the hollow center o'f the impeller.

gently curved to give it, in cross section, the

shape o'i `a Venturi tube. Leading into one side of the centralchamber is an inlet I which, in the event the apparatus is to be operated as a vacuum pump. will be connected to the retort or chamber from which air is to be exhausted.-

In such cases, I introduce at one side of inlet 8. a pipe B through which additional small quantities of water may be allowed to flow. In the For the purpose of deflecting the fluid within the impeller outwardly lI form on the back plate 25. a series of ribs 29, which are preferably curved and tapered toward their extremities. In order also that equal quantities of water. and air may at all times exist on both sides of the impeller, I provide passages therethrough by making comparativelylarge openings in each of the ribs 29. These are indicated by I0, vand extend at an angle upwardly from hub on the rear face of plate 2B, plate 26.

It will be observed in Fig. 2 that the tip of each of ribs 29 terminates short of the periphery of and through thlefront` ent levels,l

maar?? l each of the plates 2l and 20. thus providing anilow of iiuid between' escape through nular channels for the free them, some of which will find the nozzles 28. In order to-direct the fluid positiv'elyinto each nozzle, I locate at the trailing edge of each of them a` small yprojection 3l (see Fig. 3) which is formed as a rib or lip, integral with and extending laterally from the periphery of the front plate 26. 'I'hese lips serve to entrain the iluid in its outward movement in the impeller and direct it into the respective orifices 28. 'I'he resulting action is thatvthe fluid is expelled with great force in continuous nne streams.

'I'he continuous discharge of iluid under pressure from the rim of the impeller into the Venturi opening creates a suction which draws air into the intake 5. The discharge end of the latter is below the normal iluid level, consequentlyaeration of the fluid surroundin-g the impeller ensues so that ,the movement of comparatively large quantities of air is facilitated as additional small quantities of water are supplied from the source 8.

The fluid introduced into the impeller is also aerated for the purpose of breaking up the streams of fluid emitted from the nozzles 28, into globules for ment of air as the mixture of air and nuid surrounding the impeller is driven through the Venturi opening. As this resulting mixture ex-` pands in the volute conduit, it escapes into the reservoir i0, the excess water owing out of the waste pipe and the air passing away through the opening i1. When the fluid in the reservoir is in ebullition, so that in most instances it is not necessary to supply air thereto to produce the globular eii'ect in the nozzle streams. However, where this is desirable, andvto facilitate a quick starting of the apparatus, I provide for the introduction of a small stream of air into the entrance opening at the forward side of the impeller by means of an air pipe 35. This leads from the-lower side of a valve casing 36, connected to the top of the reservoir by a pipe 31,'

A normally closed needle valve- 38 is controlled by a diaphragm 38. working against an adjustable' spring tension 40.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a centrifugal pump, the combination with a casing having an intake chamber for receiving air and iiuid provided with a surrounding Venturi shaped outlet, a volute conduit leading therefrom, of a hollow impeller provided with jet orifices discharging into said venturi, a reser voir, an inlet conduit connecting the volute` conduit with the upper portion of the reservoir and an outlet conduit connecting the reservoir at a lower point with the interior of the impeller.

2. In a centrifugal pump, the combination with'. a casing having an intake chamber for receiving air and fluid provided with a surrounding Venturi shaped outlet, a volute conduit leading there- `from, of a hollow impeller provided with jet orices discharging into said venturi, a reservoir, an inlet conduit connecting the volute conduit with the upper portion of the reservoir and an outlet conduit connecting the reservoir at a lower point with the interior of the impeller, and inlet and outlet conduits tangentially connected to opposite sides of the reservoir at differthe former leading from the vvolute conduit and the latter connected to the impeller.

3. In a centrifugal pump, the combinatlu with the purpose of greater entrainl `a casing having an intake chamber for receivreservoir spiralling upward from the bottom of' 4. In a centrifugal pump the apparatus is in operation a violent state of j 45. In a centrifugal pump the a casing having an intake chamber for receiving ing air and fluid provided with a surrounding Venturi shaped outlet, a volute conduit leadingv therefrom, of a hollow impeller provided with jet orifices discharging into said venturi, a reservoir having an outlet at one side, a bottom in the said outlet, a conduit connecting the latter with the interior of the impeller, and a lconduit connecting the volute conduit with the reservoir at a point above its outlet.

y the combination with a casing having an intake chamber for receiving air and'fiuid provided with a surrounding opening of Venturi shape, a hollow impeller journaled to rotate in a vertical plane having jet discharge nozzles -in its periphery discharging into said venturi, of a reservoir located'at one side of said casing, a conduit connecting it with the interior of the impeller, a Waste pipe leading from the reservoir at approximately the level of the top of the impeller, and a conduit communicating with4 said venturi and discharging tangentially into the reservoir at a point above the level of y the Waste pipe, and a valve controlling the outflow from' said pipe which is opened and closed by the action of the duid discharged into the reservoir.

combination with air and fluid provided with a surrounding open ing of Venturi shape, a hollow impeller iournaled to rotate in a vertical plane having jet discharge nozzles in its periphery discharging into said venturi,"of areservoir, a conduit connecting it with the interior of the impeller, an open ended waste pipe leading from the center of the reservoir, a conduit leading from the venturi to one side of the reservoir above the waste pipe and a iioat valve regulating the discharge therefrom automatically controlled by the rise and fall of the iiuid discharged into the reservoir.

6. In acentrifugal pump the combination with a casing having an intake chamber for receiving air and fluid provided with a surrounding opening of Venturi shape, a hollow impeller journaled to rotate in a vertical plane having jet discharge nozzles in its periphery discharging into said venturi, of a reservoir, a conduit connecting it .with the interior of the impeller, a centrally lonecting a lower point of the reservoir with the impeller, a second conduit leading .from the vventuri ,and discharginginto the reservoir in a tangential direction to create a vortex in the fluid therein and a float riding in the vortex and movable by the rise and fall of the iiuid to control -the ,escape of fluid through the wastepipe.

' ORLO CLAIR lNORTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

